Fabric strip and holder therefor



Feb- 12, 1952 A. B. WESTER, JR

FABRIC STRIP AND HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Sept. l0, 1948 Inventor .-7 'Il yf I Alfred B. Wester, ./.n-

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Patented Feb. I2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FABRIC STRIP ANDHOLDER THEREFOR Alfred B. Wester, Jr., Woodbury, N. J.

Application September 10, 1948, SerialNo. 48,587

12 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cleaningdevices and the primary object of the present invention is to provide anovel and improved sanitary cleaner for teeth and which is applicablefor polishing shoes, silverware, .fibrous material and the like in aconvenient and highly satisfactory manner.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide acleaner including a support having a pair of spaced walls, a strip ofcleaning material trained over one of the walls and embodying novel andimproved means for clamping the material t the other of said walls andrelatively tight against the rst mentioned wall.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toothcleaner including a support about which there is trained a strip offlexible cleaning material, means for clamping the material to thesupport when the same is in use, and novel and improved means forreleasing said clamping means so that a new and clean portion of thematerial will be in position for use and means whereby the used portionof the strip may be removed. A further object of the present inventionis to provide a cleaner of the aforementionedcharacter that is small andcompact in structure and which includes in its construction a group ofseparable elements which are quickly and readily assembled ordisassembled facilitating a cleaning of the same in a convenient manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a toothcleaner that is simple and practical in construction, strong andlreliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, relativelyinexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposesfor which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details. of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings form'- ing` part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to' like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a group perspective View of Figure Figure 4 is a transversevertical sectional View taken substantially on the plane of section line4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, Wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral IIl representsa hollow substantially annularhousing forming a hand grip and including an outwardly projecting hollowextension I2 that terminates in a support I4.

One side of the housing IIJ is provided with an entrance opening I6 andan arcuate recess I8 is provided in the outer periphery of the housingI!) adjacent the opening I6.

A closure 20 is provided with an annular recess 22 in its inner facethat receives the outer edge 24 of the housing I0, at the open sidethereof, and the closure 20 is provided with an arcuate iianged portion26 that is slidably and frictionally fitted in the recess I8 forretaining the closure in position to the housing I0 in order to closethe opening I6.

An annular member or ring 2 8 is fixed to the closed side of the housingIIJ and is spaced from the inner annular surface of the housing I0. Thismember 28 forms a support about which there is trained a length or stripof flexible cleaningmaterial or cloth 30.

The outer portion of the extension I2 or outer extremity of the housingI0 is provided with an opening 32 that is positioned between the upperWall of the extension I2 and the lower wall 34 of the support I4.

Integrally formed with the side wall 36 of The numeral 42 represents theclamping mechanism that is used in conjunction with the presentinvention generally and which includes a substantially rectangularpressure plate 44 that is loosely positioned between the walls 34 and38.

Spaced parallel end blocks 46 and 48 are integrally formed with theupper surface of thev plate 44 and include outwardly inclined outersurfaces 50 and 52, and transverse slots 54 and 56 are provided in theplate 44 adjacent the blocks 46 and 48.

The upper upstanding end portions of the bottom wall are recessed onboth longitudinal sides and lugs or pivot pins 58 project outwardly fromthese recesses and engage notches 60 provided in the free ends of aplurality of links 62 which are pvotally secured to the ends of theblocks 46 and 48, for pivotal movement of the plate 44 relative to thelower or bottom wall 34.

Protuberances 64 projecting from the wall 34 are received in recesses 66in the links 62 in order to lock the plate 44 clamped downwardlyrelative to the wall 34 as shown best in Figures 3 and 4, and with theinclined surface 50 of the block 46 bearing against the sloping outeredge 68 of the extension l2.

The upper outer edge of the block 48 is sharpened to provide a, meansfor tearing the material 30.

In practical use of the present invention, thus illustrated in Figures1-4 inclusive, the free end portion 12 of the material 3D extendsthrough the opening 54 in the plate 44over. thebumper: plate 38,downwardly through the opening 56 in the plate 44, and upwardly aboutthe block 48, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the blocks 46 and 48-1 beingraised to their dotted line position as show-n in Figure 3'. Asltheplate` 44` is forced. downwardly, the block 46 seals the opening32 andthe plate 44 clamps the material 3'between the platef44 and thebottomwall 34, and the recesses 66 'receive the protuberances16'4. tolock theplate in this position.

It istobe understood; however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is-lsusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by thespirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is'claimed asnew'is:

1f. A tooth cleaner comprising a hollow housing' forming' a hand grip,an elongated support projecting' outwardly from said housing, saidhousing having an opening therein communicating' with said support, saidsupport including upperand` lower walls, a length of exible` cleaningmaterial in said housing having a free. end por'- tionextending throughthe opening insaid housing and-trainedoverthezupper wall' of said sup--port andmeansfor clamping' said material against the lower wall of saidsupport and in'- cluding` means for sealing thev opening in saidhousing, said clamping means including a pressure'plate, means;pivotallysecuring said pressure plate to -saidsupport andmeans forlocking said'- pressurepl'ate in position for clamping said.

material against' thev lower wall ofv said support and for closing theopening in said housing.

2; The combination of claim 1 whereinsaid meansipivotallyfv securingsaidL pressure plate' to saidl'support includes a plurality. of linksbetween' said pressure vplate and the lower wall ofY said support.

3. A tooth cleaner comprising a hollow-housing forming afhandgrip, an;elongated support. projecting outwardly fromsaid housing, said housing.

having an opening therein; communicating with saldi support, saidsupport including upper. and lowerv walls, a` length of flexiblecleaning material in' said housing having a free end portion extendingthrough theV opening in said housing and trained over the upper wall ofsaidv support.

andl means'for clamping said material against the-lower wall of saidsupport and including means for sealing the opening in said housing;Y

said clamping means, including' a pressurei plate disposed between theupper andY lower walls' ofl said'support, a lplurality oflinks'pivotally securing saidpressureY plate to the' lower wall of said`support, and; means; forlocking said pressure:

4 plate in a clamped position relative to the lower wall of saidsupport.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said locking means includesprotuberances projecting from said lower wall, and recesses provided insaid links adapted to receive said protuberances.

5. A tooth cleaner comprising a housing, an elongated supportlprojecting outwardly from the housing-, said; housing having an openingtherein communicating with said support, said support including spacedupper and lower walls, lugs rising from the lower wall of said supportandextending toward the upper wall of said support, a clamping plateinterposed between said lugs and saidupper wall, means pivotallysecuringftheends of saidv clamping plate to said lugs for swingingmovement of said clamping plate towardfandaway from said lugs, aflexible cleaning material received in said housing and having aportiontextendingthrough. the openingr in said housing; said clamping;plate having a pair of openings therein receiving the. portion of saidcleaning. material, the: portion of said cleaning material being trainedover the upper wall ofy saidsupport, and means for locking the clamping'plate to the: lugs; for clamping the cleaning ma`- terial againstthe-lugs.

6. A fabric strip holder comprising an elongated'support'having. spacedupper and lower stationary walls, an elongated clamping plate disposedbetween the upper and lower` walls of said support, means pivotallyVsecuring the ends of said clamping plate to one of said walls forswinging movement of said clamping plate toward and away from said`lower wall, and means engaging said pivot meansfor locking said clampingplate against saidi lower wall.

'7. A fabricstrip holder comprising an elon'- gated supportl havingspaced upper and lower stationary walls, an elongated clamping platedisposed between the uppery and lower walls-of saidf support, meanspivotallysecuring the endsof said clamping plate to one of-saidwa1lsfor` swinging movement of said clamping plate toward: and" away fromVsaid lower wall, and interlocking meansbetween said one of saidwallsand' said iirstnamedmeansv for holding the clamping pla-tetowardthelower Wall and'against'swinging movement.:

8. A strip fholder comprising spaced' first 'and second" walls;anelongated plate received? between saidV walls for lateral movementrelative to both-walls andY having openings adjacent itsA endsfor-receiving ai strip of'cleaning material on said; first wall, linkspivotall'y securing# the ends` of f'said'plate to said-:second'wall' forswinging movement of said plate toward and' away from said second wall,and locking means between said links and' said secondwall'for holding:the plate against: swinging' movement and ai cleaning strip' clamped?.between sa'idplate. and saidsecondzwalli.

9. The combination:` of el'ai'm' 8 wherein saidf locking: meansincludesprotuberances on. said second wall, said links` havingrecessesr.for reiceiving said. protuberances, upon'. movement of said' platetoward said-.secondi Wall.

10. A strip holder 'comprising'.a. supportfhavingi spaced upper' andlower walls;` a: clamping. plate received between said upper and lowerwalls, said; clampingtxplate having' a. pair of openings therein',aflexiblefstrip of material' on'said:upper wall and having` endsextending through the; openings in saidiclampingf-plate'and disposed.

between the clamping and the lower wall, means pivotally and removablysecuring said clamping plate to the lower wall for movement of theclamping plate toward and away from the lower wall, and means holdingthe clamping plate against swinging movementl with the ends of the stripclamped between said clamping plate and the bottom wall.

11. A tooth cleaner comprising a hollow housing forming a hand grip, anelongated support projecting outwardly from said housing and includingupper andlower stationary walls, said housing having an opening thereincommunicating with said support, said upper wall having a pair of spacedopenings therein, a length of exible material in said housing having afree end portion extending through the opening in said housing and theopenings in said upper wall and being trained over the upper wall, apressure plate within said support and disposed between said upper andlower walls, said pressure plate having enlarged end portions receivedin saidY openings in said upper wall, means pivotally securing both endsof said plate to said support for selective movement of said platetoward and away from said lower wall and means for locking the pressureplate in a clamped position relative to the lower wall of said support,said pressure plate including an end closing the opening in the housingwhen the plate is locked in its clamped position.

l2. The combination of claim 11 wherein one enlarged end portion of saidplate is sharpened and constitutes a cutting edge,

ALFRED B. WESTER. JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 80,330 Burgess July 28, 18681,026,446 Kennedy et al May 14, 1912 1,416,882 Sandals May 23, 19222,197,224 Peterson Apr. 16, 1940 2,334,458 Van Tuyl Nov. 16, 19432,410,420 Bennett Nov. 5, 1946

